1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coupon organizers, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved coupon organizer for organizing and transporting coupons and coupon clipping accessory items in a single integrated easily transportable carrier. A wide variety of marketing coupons are published in newspapers and magazines which enable alert individuals to save a substantial sum of money on groceries and other items. However, clipping and organizing these coupons is a difficult and cumbersome chore, unless a proper organization device is utilized. In order to enable individuals to conveniently achieve maximum coupon savings, the present invention provides an integral easily transportable carrier for housing and alphabetizing coupons and for conveniently storing coupon and shopping accessories.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of coupon organizers are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a coupon organizer is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,690, which issued to N. Giarritta on Jan. 25, 1977. This patent discloses a folder having a plurality of individual pockets for cataloguing and storing grocery coupons in various food categories. U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,393, which issued to R. Green on Jan. 26, 1982, discloses a book-like coupon organizer for carrying and arranging various types and size of coupons and refund offers, by designated product categories. The organizer includes front and back panels which are hingedly connected and a plurality of coupon receiving pockets on the inner surface of the panels. The panels are formed of rigid members arranged in spaced edge to edge relation in heat sealable inner and outer plastic sheets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,994, which issued to C. Holland on May 21, 1984, discloses a coupon organizer formed as a rectangular receptacle having a hinged cover with a carrying handle. The receptacle is adapted to be clamped to the handle of a shopping cart at the upper rear end of the shopping cart basket. The receptacle contains a series of dividers for segregating coupons in accordance with various headings. A separate compartment is provided in the bottom portion of the receptacle for holding various accessory items such as scissors and a writing instrument. U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,054, which issued to C. Blossom on May 27, 1986, discloses a coupon organizer formed from a plurality of miniature sized indexed file folders enclosed in a flexible carrying pouch. U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,911, which issued to R. Manuel on May 10, 1988, discloses a grocery list forming device which includes a receptacle having a hinged cover and a plurality of interior portions provided with fasteners for securing snap on indicators designating needed food items.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose a coupon organizer which utilizes a box-shaped rectangular housing having a hinged cover provided on an interior surface with a plurality of spaced hook and loop fastening members for securing coupon and shopping accessory items such as writing instruments, note pads, scissors and a calculator. Additionally, none of the aforesaid prior art devices utilize a rectangular housing having a bottom portion divided into left and right compartments each housing reduced sized hanging folders for alphabetizing store coupons. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of coupon organizers, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such coupon organizers, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.